Sisters of Isis
by 1065482801109701
Summary: The kids of Anubis are going back for their senior year, and Joy is happy. Why? No more deadly mysteries. But when a gypsy woman gives her a familiar locket, how will things change? Rated T for Tomato
1. Chapter 1

Brown. Her eyes, her hair, her skin. All brown, and yet, she only now realized how pretty the color was: complex and deep. The warmth of the coffe leaked into her fingers and in response she swirled the liquid around in her cup. Nina. The only reason she hated the color brown. She was plain, brown and boring but Nina, with her honey-gold hair, tanned skin and shining blue eyes charmed anyone senselessly. So, it didn't matter if she was jealous, right? Being jealous of a popular person… Normal right? It seemed even more depressing to her that just two years ago she would have never been able to admit to jealousy. No matter how bad it got, she would've stayed stoic and stonish at the topic. What had changed? Nina. Perfect, pleasant, Nina. Even after they became friends she couldn't help but feel the awkwardness that loomed between them.

"Joy, you alright?" The question had seemingly come out of nowhere, then again, Joy was in her own little world. Focusing her eyes on her mom, she saw the motherly concern that was obvious in her deep gold eyes. As if it were a reflex, Joy started smiling," I'm fine… Just tired." She could tell that her mom didn't buy the whole excuse, but didn't push it. Besides Nina, Joy was anxious for the new school year. What excited her the most though was that there would be no life threatening mystery. Yes, it would be boring. Boring but safe. "Come on, you've been sitting down for long enough. We came here to shop, remember? The markets are there waiting for us Joy. Finish your coffee." Joy rolled her eyes melodramatically and whined," I've just gotten comfortable."

Her mother shot her an indignant look, making her bring the cup to her lips, swallowing the liquid as quickly as she could. With remorse, she bid a goodbye to her spot with the perfect balance between a pleasant summer breeze and the warm sun, and followed her mum as she walked across the cobble-stone stretch and into the markets. Her mum laid out a tedious plan for her: She would tackle the vintage clothing, looking for a less than spectacular gift for her sister-in-law, while Joy would tackle the jewelry. "Now, you have two hours Joy. We don't want a repeat of last time, do we?"

Bitter laughter followed, and her mother set off, leaving her alone. Alone to Joy was bad though. Her sense seemed to heighten. Smells of spices and exotic dishes drifted along from different carts as well as the constant hum of conversation, and the warmth of so many bodies in a compact space wrapped her in a welcoming hug of pure relaxation and glee. Though Joy didn't like to show it, she always felt like the markets were like a second home to her, and loved how anyone would be accepted, and how the people were just friendlier, regardless of their appearances. Just to the left, she caught sight of a girl who looked no older than the age of ten buying a collectable spoon from a guy who had a neon green Mohawk. The sight made her chuckle.

For a while she wandered around aimlessly, browsing various stalls, noting prices and products, but so far, nothing had popped out at her, or beckoned to her, so she kept on walking, intent on finding that thing that just begged for her to come in. "Come in here, my love," A thick accent called out towards her. Turning around revealed a caravan, a cart if you may, that hadn't been there before. It was clear it belonged to a gypsy woman. The cart looked as if it were horse drawn, yet no horses appeared in sight. The cart was painted a bright yellow, most of the paint fading into patches of dull gray. Swathes of fabric served as the door and curtains, often mismatched.

A bird cage hung near the door holding a gold-crest, its song clinging vibrantly to the air. A layer of haze seemed to ooze from behind the curtains where the female's voice had come from. Her sensible side told her to ignore it and walk away, but everything about the situation was so enticing. For Christ's sake Joy, she thought to herself, you're Joy! Take a risk! Her shaky hands reached for the curtain when a head popped out. " I thought you'd never get here, silly girl. Come in, come in!"

The woman had deep chocolate colored skin, almost like her own with brown eyes and long flowing hair that fell to her mid-back. Though she looked even shorter than Joy in stature, she was incredibly strong, almost lifting Joy into her little cart. Her arms were riddled with tribal like tattoos, almost fading into her skin. As she got settled in, Joy found it funny that her skirt occupied almost half of the little wagon. "Do you want any tea? Oops, actually, don't have any tea, never do. It's been long since I've had a visitor. So, what's your name, where're you from?" Her words were strewn drunkenly into sentences as she swayed about, making the cart groan from the effort. After a moments worth of hesitation, Joy sat down on one of the bigger pillows that littered the floor along with old books and boxes of all different shapes and sizes, all of which were embedded with a fine layer of dust.

"Don't be shy now," her kohl covered eyes stared into her relatively plain ones," What's your name?" "Joy," She stated plainly, looking at anything else except her eyes," Joy Mercer." "Ah! Joy, such a pretty name, a pretty name for a pretty girl, a name that holds deep meaning. Tell me then, why don't I see that in you?" She squirmed, knowing that she was still scrutinizing her every movement. "My name's… Anelka… Tell me girl, would you like me to read your future in the crystal ball?" For a second, Joy hesitated. Hadn't she learned not to trust strangers in what, the second grade? Yet here she was, blindly accepting an offer from a possible mad woman. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." Her tone was still skeptical, as if anticipating to be drugged and murdered, to which Anelka simply smiled. Reaching over gracefully, she grabbed a box about the size of an average tissue-box, only it was a deep mahogany, with floral patterns covering the whole box.

Carefully she opened the box and lifted out a crystal ball almost twice the size of her balled fist. There was a circular opening at the top which left Joy puzzled none the less. Anelka placed the ball down gently on a stand that looked like it was custom made for the ball as it was the same colored wood that the box was made of. Quickly, she lit a pipe and blew the smoke that accumulated into the ball. Joy waved her free hand in front of her face while coughing at the sickly smell. _Please don't be drugs, please don't be drugs, please don't be drugs, _She chanted in her mind. "What?" Anelka asked, a smile playing at her lips, " Every person has their different ways." The smoke seemed to stay solely in the crystal ball and with her skillful hands, she closed the ball sealing the pungent smelling smoke inside.

"Now, put your hands on the crystal ball. Yes, that's it, on top of mine." Uneasiness churned within her as her hands placed themselves on top of Anelka's. For a few minutes, nothing seemed to happen and Joy once again doubted the whole legitimacy of the crystal ball. Then, in an instant change, ice seemed to freeze the atmosphere causing Joy to gasp. Even in the now freezing cart, Anelka's hands were the coldest, as if she herself was to cause of freezing. A low unearthly laughter echoed from her," Foolish girl, what have you done? Hand over the amulet!" Joy tried to back away, but the ice seemed to keep her stuck in her current position. A black smoke seemed to emanate from Anelka's volatile form. Screams tried to fight their way out of her throat with no avail, as though her voice was stole by the wind. The voice barked again, this time much more aggressively," Hand the amulet over!"

Tears leaked out of Joy's burning eyes. A weight seemed to sink in her chest as she realized that there would no getting out of this one. No one to save her, no one to rely on, alone and soon, dead. Anelka lunged unnaturally, almost looking like a rabid animal but instead of clawing her eyes out, her hands pressed her temples. Instead of the expected pain that she had braced her for, the world seemed to spin around violently, wind battering her cheeks. Memories faded away in groups, as if they were being plucked from mind. _Pluck, _Memories of her fourth grade science fair disappeared. _Pluck, pluck,_ memories of her seventh birthday party and Alfie and Jerome's first food fight at Anubis. _Pluck, _The whole of Anubis house, faded away, as if they were helium balloons floating off up into the sky. Fear was the only thing she felt. Soon, all her memories would be gone, her identity would fade, and she would be alone once more.

She momentarily prepared herself for the end. Numbness travelled her toes and slowly crept up throughout her body. Tears rolled down her cheeks faster now as her cries became less audible. "Ah!" Anelka cried out, falling back. Joy did the same, pulling her knees to her chest. Who was she? Family, she still remembered her mum, her dad but, who else? What had just happened? "I could see it, you know. All of the dead, burning in the ashes. And the smell," she shuddered," Burnt flesh rotting all around me. He is coming soon. He whispers to me the same thing every night,' I will take my revenge on the sisters of Isis.' What does that mean? Tell me what it means!" Her fingers dug into Joy's shoulders.

"You were strong… maybe…" The sounds of her breathing heavily as she dug through various boxes filled the cart. Joy watched as she lifted a seemingly old book from the clutter, its cover covered with dust hiding the leather binding. "I have long since searched for the sisters hoping that they would alleviate the curse, and I believe today my prayers have been answered. Dear child, does this symbol look familiar?" Her teary eyes squinted as she looked at the crude drawing. "The Eye of Horus," the words tumbled out of her lips. She'd seen it before, but where? So familiar yet so… unfamiliar. "Yes, yes, yes! I know you might not remember but you must try! You know what it is, it's very important to you. Please, try!" Anelka was in hysterics, almost mimicking how Joy felt. "I… there's something like a memory, I know, I can see it in your eyes; a ghost of a memory. They're not gone, they've been hidden. I know you can do it!" Her eyes wrenched shut as she focused.

Around her she could sense the remnants of the memories, hidden in plain sight, haunting figures, translucent like glass. "I know something that might help." Once again, she scrambled, much more desperate this time in her movements. She lifted up a much smaller box this time, one with a lock. "For decades, I've kept this a secret, one that has burdened me, but today, I give it to its rightful owner: you." A small key fit into the lock, and after a small turn, it opened with a resounding click. The first this that caught her eyes was a jewel that glittered brightly. It was set in the Eye of Horus, almost similar to a broken memory of hers. Her heart ached for the necklace, an impulsive need, a bruning fire that needed to be quenched. "Take it and go. Even now I can sense them. They're coming for me. My time has come. My last wish… Chosen One, stay safe." She placed the locket in Joy's hands and closed her hands around it before giving her a push to leave.

Chosen One: the term had been branded like a red hot poker on her mind. Anelka's warnings rang loud and clear in her mind,' Take it and go!' She shot one last look at the quaint little cart. A pang of fear struck her heart. The warmth she received from the market seemed to disintegrate before her very eyes leaving her cold and afraid. She ran for a while in search of safe seclusion. Mother, mom, one of the only people she remembered. Her eyes scanned the ever-moving crowd of people. Finally, she found her brgaining with an old lady. "Twenty quid, no more, no less, last offer," Her mother was always blunt and in her own words, was a 'No-Bullshit' person. The old lady grumbled a choice response before yanking the money from her mother. "Joy! I've got the perfect gift for your Aunt. Oh, did you just buy that?" She pointed to the amulet in Joy's fist. Seeing her mother smile, she decided it was best to act natural to lower her mother's suspicion. Her hands fumbled as she placed it around her own neck. "Got it at a little shop back there… it was a steal." Joy plastered a fake smile on her face holding in a sigh of relief.

"Come on, we have to go home. You need a good night's rest, don't you?" Joy smiled," Yeah, Anubis, can't wait."

**~0o0o0o0~**

**This will most definitely be a multi-chapter, and I will be juggling updates like this as well as Letters and Angels, which is well under way, the Prank King (which I haven't even started) and various other stories. If you don't like this story, please, please, please do not trash it by going **

**Joyyzz like a biotch I frikken h8 her stop writin u sickooO! - Anything like this will be flagged because I like Joy as a character and I want stories besides Jabian and I want her involved with the mystery. **

**Read and Review, Please!**

**Eskimo Kisses,**

**z3stygurl97**


	2. Chapter 2

The morning greeted her with pale sunshine leaking in through the window. Her back felt knotted and strained, only now realizing that she sat upright on her window sill seat, laptop at her feet, still warm. Her sleepy eyes focused on her garden below her, one that she would be saying goodbye to soon. It was a pleasant garden, with trimmed grass and huge hedges. When she was a little girl, she loved watching her dad trim the hedges. He always seemed so at peace when he did, a smile on his sweat streaked face. The memory made her smile to herself. "Goodbye garden," she mumbled dreamily. After rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, she managed to drag herself off of the windowsill and into the bathroom.

Her room seemed drained of colour in the early morning light, and she felt certain she looked the same: gray. Managing her way into the bathroom, she laughed silently at how horrible she looked. Hair was tussled in her ponytail, locks hanging out at random, bags were etched underneath her eyes, her skin looked deathly pale. She set about getting ready, when she remembered the locket. It was pressed against her skin. It let off a dim blue glow. Her hand reached up to touch the gem. It was extremely cold, as if the Antarctic itself were trapped in the sapphire blue gem. Wasn't it strange that it happened to be her favourite colour? Blue: the sky, the water, both blue, both pleasurable. The feeling of raw satisfaction faded as did her smile as she remembered Alenka.

Knots twisted in her stomach, and the familiar feeling of nervousness washed over her once again. Joy closed her eyes once again, her hand clutching the necklace, as she tried to focus on remembering. Who was she? Joy Mercer. She had a dad whose nose crinkled when he smiled, and she had a street-smart, witty mom. Friends? She pulled mental blank. Letting out a breath that she'd held, dejected from her failed efforts, she set about getting ready for school. Funny, she thought, how I can remember Anubis but can't remember any of my classmates. Her mental humor didn't help erase the sense of dread that she felt. If anything, it just added to her list of worries. After taking a shower and putting on her uniform, she walked downstairs for breakfast.

"There's she is!" Her dad called from the kitchen. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted up to her, and in a blind rush of hunger, she took the remaining stairs as quickly as she could. She could almost feel her father his warm smile at her child-like actions. Even though he had completed used her just over two years ago, they still held their tight bond. After all, he was only human and people broke, especially in the face of something so enticing. See, her father's side of the family had a long running history with heart disease and her father was scared of that. Who wouldn't be? Joy thought. The only sensible thing he could think of at the time was the fact that Joy could be the key to that.

She clunked down into a chair, supporting her head in her palms, waiting for her food. Her father, cheery as always, slid the plate in front of her, offering her a toothy grin. Swirling her fork around, she managed to eat an egg and a slice of bacon before giving up on her efforts to eat. The eggs had a texture reminiscent to rubber, something that put Joy off her food immediately. She couldn't criticize though. With her mom working all the time, her dad had to try to adapt, but obviously he still hadn't.

"You excited?" She replied with a half-hearted 'um'. Of course she wasn't excited. It was just like moving to a new school, except for the fact that she actually wasn't moving to a new school. A honk jolted her out of her daze. Exhaling, she went upstairs to grab her suitcase, said goodbye to her dad, and got into the car, expecting the worst to come.

**~0o0o0o0~**

The car ride was long enough for Joy to try and get comfy. She felt relieved that she had actually worn comfortable clothes. Honestly, she only wore the clothes because she had no idea how she dressed normally, and right now she preferred comfort over style anyway. Her gray leggings, sweatshirt, and fluffy socks provided enough warmth for her to try and catch up on some sleep that she felt she had been lacking. Sleep wasn't dragging her down and she found herself more nervous than she had ever been before. How was she going to explain this all? Amnesia seemed plausible, and even a concussion may sway them for a while but deep down she knew for a fact that people would investigate and tell her parents.

More situations and possibilities crowded her mind and before falling into a dreamless sleep, she settled on just playing along with the lot. At worst, she thought, I'll mix up their names. She finally woke once more when the car screeched to a halt. Her lazy eyelids opened as she looked out at the familiar red and orange bricked school. Gray, stringy clouds hung high in the sky masking the grounds in a cloak of shadows. She let out a yawn before getting out. "Better get inside Ms. Something tells me it's gonna rain soon." He was a happy looking man, seemingly content with his laugh lines and his receding hair line. Gripping her suitcase, her worst fears were confirmed as a round droplet fell smack on her nose.

Handing him the money, he gave her a final goodbye before heading off leaving her completely and utterly alone. The whole of the grounds seemed empty as if they had sensed the impending rain. More droplets began to fall and Joy started to panic. It was bad enough that she had no idea how to get to Anubis house, there was also the fact that if she didn't get inside soon she would be soaked. Dragging her suitcase with one hand and shielding her head with the other, she ran towards the only identifiable building. The rain pounded even harder now and she matched its speed, just about managing to enter the building when the heavens broke loose.

The fluorescent lights mixed with the stagnant dry air did nothing to boost her spirits. Joy felt like a mess. She didn't really manage to miss the rain and was now soaked to the core, ice freezing her. Her back connected to the wall and she slid down, breathing steadily. Her stomach grumbled and she immediately felt regret over breakfast. She almost laughed at her thoughts. Here she was, a freezing, sniveling mess, reminiscing about food. "Joy?" Her head snapped to look for the mystery voice.

A boy stood on the steps. He knew her, but how did she know him? A strong sense of familiarity pulled her towards him. "W-who are you?" His facial expression was blank for a moment, as if struggling to find a reply. Hurt vaguely flashed in his eyes as he gripped her arms.

"Joy, it's me, Fabian."

**~0o0o0o0~**

**DUN DUN DUN **

**I'm gonna leave it there for today, mostly because I am tired and wanted to do something. I should have the next chapter up soon. **

**As always, read and review**

**z3stygurl97**


	3. Chapter 3

_A boy stood on the steps. He knew her, but how did she know him? A strong sense of familiarity pulled her towards him. "W-who are you?" His facial expression was blank for a moment, as if struggling to find a reply. Hurt vaguely flashed in his eyes as he gripped her arms._

_"Joy, it's me, Fabian."_****

**~0o0o0o0~**

As they stood there, not even the sound of the rain could break through the intensity that had fallen over them. Tucking a stray strand wet hair behind her ear, she started," I'm sorry. Do I know you?" She mentally kicked herself, realizing how incriminatingly stupid it sounded. Of course he knew her. Why would he have made the effort to talk to her if he hadn't?

"B-but Joy," the stutter was familiar to her," You and I..." What? Boyfriend? Friends? Best friends? It overwhelmed her. This was turning out to be a bigger problem than what she had originally expected. And she broke down. All of this was too much for her, and it shook her to her core.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around her as she finally felt free to tell her story. "It all started yesterday at the markets, I was looking around and this woman, Anelka, told me to come into her... Store. I did, and she offered me a reading from the crystal ball and I did and... And then," a sob seized her throat," she changed into a demon like creature it was horrible, and the hungry look in her eyes still terrifies me. Then... Then it started stealing the memories. I can't remember who anyone is, I don't even know why I'm telling you this, I mean, for all I know you could hate me…I just..."

Salty tears streaked her face as she shooshed her, occasionally stroking her hair. And even after the tears dried, they stood there, swaying rhythmically with the pitter-patter of the now dwindling rain. "You really don't remember me, do you?" She shook her head. At least, she thought, now she had someone to confide in. Someone she could trust, someone she could talk to. Well, she hoped he was that person. "We should be getting back to the house now," he said in a soft voice. Whoever he actually was to her, at least he cared.

Rain still fell only lighter. The humidity seemed to press in on her as she walked, caging her in. The sky was starting to light up once more, the menacing clouds skidding, turning thinner and thinner. The worst time to be walking was right after the rain with all the water. Who was she to complain though? Besides a few students who had emerged from houses, they seemed to be the only students on campus. Fabian didn't say anything but focusing his gaze on nothing in particular. She thought he looked best like this, as if he were in another world all together.

"What's that?" He asked pointing to the silver chain that hung around her neck. Embarrassment stained her ears pink. Had he caught her staring? That's it Joy, she told herself, act like a total creep, isn't that the best way to get friends? The air seemed to turn damp and cool with the wind, clinging to her skin like ice. Her heavy steps sent little drops of water up onto her pants, a feeling she hated. "Oh, erm, I forgot to mention that didn't I? Um... Anelka, erm, she gave it to me," her hand went to her chest protectively. The memory of how it glowed blue in the morning filled her mind. She was sleepy in the morning, it was probably an illusion.

"Can I see it?" She took the chain off, concealing it in her palm before handing it over to him. He exuded trust, something that she found very easy to relate. His face skewed into shock as he looked at it. "The eye of Horus," saying the phrase made her focus on him. The phrase seemed to show up everywhere, like she couldn't escape it. It held no real significance to her except for the fact it was the only thing she really remembered about Anubis.

"That's what Anelka showed me, in this book. Sorry, my memory's all fuzzy. Yeah, right, she said something about 'Sisters of Isis', I have no idea what it means." Hiding the locket away once more, she observed his facial expression shift from being shocked, to torn, and finally accepting. "Well, I think I know someone that can help us with that," a small smile lit up his face and she similarly found herself smiling. They walked in companionable silence until they finally made it to an old house.

It was two stories high, made out of brick, and was frightening, at least, in her mind it was. Shadows clung to the walls hiding secrets. The doors were intimidating, huge brass knockers on them. He walked in as though the house was nothing, but Joy walked in warily, waiting for some demon to kill her. Everything that had happened automatically put her on edge. Pull yourself together Joy, she chided knowing that it was just her mind that was playing tricks on her. The only thing that lightened the blow was the checkered floor. Last time she'd checked, checkered floor was definetely out. A chandler glittered in the lowlight. "Joy, your room is upst-"

He was cut off by a girl running, more like galloping, down the stairs at lightning speed, a girlish smile splayed across her face, her hair flying in every direction. "Fabian!" She squealed, throwing herself into his arms. He smiled as well, squeezing her tight. Something about this display of public affection irked Joy, but she decided to brush it off accrediting it to nerves. "Fabian, I missed you so much," And," Nina, Nina, Nina," were just some of the few phrases that were tossed around during this love fest. And they kissed what seemed like a thousand times. Americans, she thought rather judgementally. She dismissed the thought only on the fact that this girl might be her friend and acting snarky wouldn't help her case. And plus, she wanted to start anew.

"Oh, hi Joy," the girl, Nina, said the words in a disappointing manner. That definitely sent some warning bells off in her mind. Obviously, Ms. Nina didn't like her. "Yeah, Nina? There's... Something that you need to know," At Fabian's statement she looked alarmed and Joy, cheeky as always, almost laughed at her expression of fear. Laughter won, and she found herself clamping her mouth shut, forcing the laughter to stop, earning a glare from Nina. Old found rivalry seemed to exist between them. Maybe she wasn't as nice as she thought she was.

"Fabian," she queried in a low voice," what do you mean?" He placed his arm around her and pointed to his room. Once they piled in, Nina almost exploded. "Am I not good enough? Is... Is it her?" She pointed accusingly towards Joy. "Relax, Nina, is it? I don't even know who you are, let Fabian explain that."

"It's a long story," Fabian commented. Joy simply sat on the bed and played with stuff she found on the bedside table. While he explained, she tuned him out. She had lived the story, why hear it again? For the while, she wondered what the other housemates were like before telling herself that the more she worried about it, the worse it would be.

She was well into a manga, Death Note, most of which she didn't get due to the fact that it was a newer issue, when Nina stated," So you can't remember anyone?" Joy shrugged her shoulders. "But there's more," Fabian expressed," Show her." Grudgingly she revealed the locket, somewhat surprised when Nina's mouth fell. "B-but that's impossible! How... What, where did you get that? I thought... I thought the mystery was over!" Mystery? Intrigue? Something about that seemed exciting and nerve-wracking, like she knew what was to come.

"Like he said, got it from a woman named Anelka, ok? And what's with this mystery? And why are you two so interested in my necklace. Have you never seen a piece of jewelry before?" Sarcasm seemed to fuel everything she said like it were second nature. So far though it only seemed to apply to Nina. She wondered, what if she did remember everyone subconsciously making her act different towards each person.

"Joy. This is important, stop making it seem like child's play!" Nina's face contorted in frustration as she sat down beside Fabian. He put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Calm down, it's not like it's the end of the world or anything." Joy tossed aside the manga having flipped through the pages.

"You expect me to calm down? Who do you-" She rolled her eyes before continuing for Nina.

"-think you are? I don't know. What a nice question to ask seeing as I don't actually know. All I know is that you," she pointed at Nina," are some American trophy girl all gum-drops and Kansas city and you," now pointing at Fabian," are the woman in the relationship, typical book geek pushover."

They both stood there watching her with curiosity, Nina looking more appalled. "What? I don't know you, I'm allowed to judge." Nina's lips started to move as if she wanted to make up a nasty retort to shut Joy up. Obviously, seeing as nothing came out, being mean wasn't her forte and she gave up.

"Is there ever an end to the mystery in this house?" A lame attempt at a joke, but none the less, it lifted the atmosphere somewhat. Nina was obviously still shaken up by the whole news and wanted to be alone with Fabian to talk it out. She had caused enough trouble for the day, there was no need to cause any more.

"I think I'm just going to unpack," Joy headed for the door, but hovered in the doorway realizing she had forgotten something," Erm, which room is mine?"

Fabian laughed a bit," Upstairs, second door on your left."

"Thanks."

**~0o0o0o0~**

**Yay! Another chapter done, hallelujah! It's spring break so you can expect more chapter updates I hope.**

**As always, reviews are appreciated and desired**

**Oh, and to people who have left anonymous reviews, I wish you guys had accounts so that I could give you honorable mentions. You guys rock!**

**Eskimo Kisses,**

**z3stygurl97**


	4. Chapter 4

Joy walked out into the unfamiliar hall and almost forgot where her room was altogether. Groaning, she realized she must the kind of person that was slow on the uptake. The house seemed empty and cold, no other residents in sight. That tore at Joy's heart a bit. The curiosity, not knowing who you live with, the fresh perspectives were killing her.

Her feet made squeaky wet noises as she walked towards her luggage which she stupidly left in the foyer than, knowing that the girl's room must be upstairs started the journey up the wooden stairs. So this is what life's like, she thought, stairs and emptiness.

A man sat behind a desk in an office that overlooked the stairs. He seemed far too old to be managing the house and his hair; she shuddered hoping that he would at least wash it before ever talking to her. His hair was slicked back, graying slightly, his a few random strands sticking out. A raven, slick and black sat on top of his desk, its beady little eyes staring at her. God, she hated stuffed animals.

"What are you looking at girl?" Realizing that she had been staring, she mumbled a sorry and walked the opposite way. There was something about him creeped her out. First impressions were never her forte. It was probably just the stuffed bird though. Walking down the hall she could clearly hear voices, no, giggling coming from the second she have to knock? It seemed like a stupid idea. Then again… She opened the door abruptly and saw three girls sitting crossed legged on the floor.

"Joy!" A girl with red hair exclaimed. Besides the hair, the first thing she noticed about her was that she wore way too much eyeliner as well as black, not to mention the fact that she had an incredibly thick accent. The others smiled at her as well.

Obviously the school was filled with stereo types. There was, of course, the Blondie sitting daintily, her hair let loose, and of course, wearing a dress that looked like it was worth more than all her clothes combined. She let off an air of pomposity and fake confidence. Daddy's little girl, she assumed.

Then there was the token geek, or so she thought, who sat on the other side. Her hair was loose and she wore a summer dress with a grey cardigan, completing the cute country girl look. Joy grinned as she spotted the book near her feet. _A bit of light reading? _

Joy must've been hugging the typical goth girl who only cared for Metal and leather. "Hi everyone," she replied timidly. She waited for the confused looks, stating, that's not what Joy would say, but none came and she felt a small part of her put at ease. At least she'd gotten one thing right. "Well come on then," Punky beckoned.

Assuming that the empty bed was her own, she placed her luggage on it, not caring that it was wet, and sat in the circle with the others.

"So Mara," Blondie started," How's Jerome been?" Mara blushed. So this Jerome character was her lover. Interesting. "He's been great," Blondie and Punky erupted into the giggles as her embarrassment and Joy followed, her laughter somewhat forced.

"Great? Bet he's been more than great giving the fact that he's shoving his tongue down your throat." Joy couldn't help it. Though she knew nothing of Jerome and Mara's relationship, just the way Punky described it. She was starting to like Punky. Cynicism and sarcasm: That made a good friend.

Mara dug her head in her hands, flushing red. "Oh Mara, I love your smarts… and your beauty," Blondie used a masculine voice and pouted looking rather like an idiot before turning around and pretending to make out with herself. The whole display was hilarious. Joy, in fact, laughed so hard her laughter became silent and everyone in turn laughed at her because of the way she resembled a seal at the circus.

"Ok, I'm gonna go. Seven bags don't just unpack themselves!" Blondie stated cheerily. Joy smirked. Blondie certainly did live up to her stereotype. She wouldn't be surprised if one piece of luggage was dedicated to shoes entirely. With all the supposed boys fawning over her, she probably had no trouble in roping one of them in to hauling all of it upstairs.

"Joy, don't look at me like that, you know that was a downsize from last year!" Mara slowly followed suit and left, probably to see her little boy toy Jerome, or slime ball according to Punky.

"So Joy, how was your holiday?" Punky asked. Go along with it Joy, she urged herself, she doesn't know, probably never will, as long as you play it _cool_.

"Exciting I guess, I didn't really do much." She sniffed afterwards and casually stretched out.

"Just stayed at home? Me too. Shame we couldn't catch up. I mean, I tried but my parents always wanted to go shopping with Piper, go on picnics with Piper. I don't think I'm ever gonna escape her, you know? I mean, just because we're identical twins does not mean we like each other."

Joy nodded understandingly. "Piper always rubbed me the wrong way, don't know why," Of course, she was talking out of her arse, but she was glad when Punky beamed at her.

"I thought you liked her?" Punky asked, fiddling with her clothes, packing them away in neat piles.

"She was just too… nice."

"Typical Joy," Punky's phone buzzed and it she acted as if time had stopped. "Oh my God, Eddie's here!" She squealed and Joy could only assume that Eddie was her boyfriend.

"Gotta go then, I'll see you at dinner kay?" Punky could barely contain the excitement in her voice. Probably was a struggle for her, mostly because she couldn't act like a girly girl.

"I don't think I'll be going to dinner, I'm feeling a bit… sick today, might as well just go to bed now." It wasn't a lie at least.

"But Joy," Punky laughed," it's the afternoon and you've just got here."

"Like I said, I'm sick. May as well get better before tomorrow."

"You? Actually wanting to go to class? Pigs _must_ be flying."

"Don't worry about me then. Go have a good time with your little lover boy, snog him, whatever, just don't bring it in here."

"I won't."

Once she left, Joy plopped down on her bed. Sickness did seem to have its grip over her, and she resolved, that a good night's rest would fix it.

**~0o0o0o0~**

She awoke to the smell burning hair. Shooting straight up in fear, she realized it was only Punky curling her hair. Curling it? She hardly seemed like the person who would want curled hair in the first place. Had she slept through the afternoon? The light made her squint. Why did it have to be so bright today?

"Morning Joy," she chimed. Something about her seemed way too sappy. Least she's breaking the stereotype, she thought to herself. Punky was wearing what looked like the school uniform, obviously with her own twist on it. Mara was nowhere in sight, and her side of the room was typically clean. In fact, besides her little corner of the room everything seemed clean. "What's going on?" Patricia turned around in shock, not registering what she had just said.

"What?" Joy asked. Bad move. Punky's expression turned from confusion to annoyance.

"Joy, you can't be serious." She swirled back and started curling her hair vigorously, wanting to end the chore. The fumes were more collective now, even stronger, muddling up her brain. She felt slow and gluggy.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Joy croaked, curling her fists around her blankets.

"Yeah, my best friend forgetting my birthday, just what I needed." So that's what it was.

"Oh, Happy Birthday… you!"

"You? You? What's my name Joy, tell me, or have you forgotten all about me?" Shit. The one thing she didn't want to happen, the one thing she wanted to avoid.

"I haven't forgotten about you!" At least, not technically. She was there, she was just buried.

"Then tell me, what's my name?"

"Come on, do we really need to do this?"

"My name, now!"

Joy merely looked down guiltily. She'd been found out. The way Punky looked at her, with such disgust, such malice tore her heart. She wished she could say,' It's not my fault! I'm merely a victim of situation!'

"I knew it, I always knew you didn't care. The only thing you ever care about is yourself." Punky, trying to make a statement, got up and left the room slamming the door. Obviously, she was now Punky's number one enemy. First day, new enemies. New record. She was thrilled. Joy groaned and dug her head into her pillow. This was gonna be a long day.

**~0o0o0o0~**

**Another short one for you guys! I love short chapters, aren't they amazing? I'm still getting the plot set up so don't worry, the mystery is going to kick in soon, I just wanted to have Patricia hate Joy first. It'll just mix things up. Thank you to those of you who actually review because the reviews keep me going, and I bid you good day! And if you are confused, she doesn't know the names of these people and thus is making up nicknames. She found out Mara's name, hey! I think I might want the mystery sort of just to start off with Jerome, Mara and Joy, just because they never get to be part of the mystery. **

**(But seriously read and review because by doing both, you make me feel good)**

**{She's not lying}**

**[Shut up you two, you're making us look crazy!]**

**Inner monologue, who knew?**

**Bye!**

**~Kels**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for not updating! And thank you to all of you that have reviewed and haven't flamed! That's liked, great I guess? Anyway, here's a small chapter.**

**~0o0o0o0~**

Eventually Joy found it in herself to get up. Her limbs felt unattached and she felt bloated. High school, she concluded, is the epitome of Hell on Earth. She felt pathetic. So far, Punky hated her, she knew no one else, Nina and her obviously had some sort of rivalry going on, and the only person she liked, was taken. Dragging herself, she made it to her suitcase in which she painfully extricated her uniform from underneath piles and piles of different clothing.

Once she changed she examined herself in the mirror. Maroon was not her color. She much preferred something less in-your-face, something like the color Navy. Stop distracting yourself! She told herself. She in fact was distracting herself. Stress mounted inside of her, one block at a time with each step she took. Each creak that was made as she walked down the stairs almost made her jump.

It wasn't until she heard distinguishable voices that her stress was quelled... Somewhat. "Alfie! Come on, really?" The voice belonged to Mara. Honestly, besides Fabian, Mara was the person she wanted to be friends with. She seemed accepting and helpful, willing to be there for anyone in need. That is, assuming that she didn't get angry at Joy for forgetting Punky's name.

She walked in, expecting for a silence to fall. Food flew around. Bits of pancake hit Nina straight in the face. A spoonful of beans hit the guy next to Mara. Joy dodged the contents of a bowl of cereal, barely missing it. Laughter bounced around the room. Joy shuffled avoiding the puddle of milk and sat down at the head of the table, leaning closer towards Mara.

Unfortunately this also meant that she was unfortunately seated next to Punky. She piled food onto her plate, watching the others socialize. All the couples in the house sat next to each other. Nina and Fabian, Blondie and Alfie, Mara and Jerome, the... Metalheads? She wondered for a moment if the school strategically placed people into different for highest compatibility. At least they didn't have couple names.

"So guys, Amfie is officially back on! I mean, it's not as good as Alber but, I mean, how many options do you have when you have names like Amber and Alfie? You know, I just realized, I named all the couples in this house. Fabina, Peddie, Jara, and Amfie!" Joy almost banged her head on the table. Amber, as it seemed, loved to live up to her stereotype. Had High School Musical taught them nothing? She smiled at the thought when her head started to hurt.

Closing her eyes, she envisioned her in front of the TV with Punky, or Peddie girl. They were chattering loudly, shoving popcorn into their mouths. What they were talking about, she didn't know, but on the screen, she saw them watching High School Musical. And then she opened her eyes, and she was back at the table. None of them noticed her mini episode, all of them still too focused on Amber's musings about couple naming and their alternate names to their couplings.

Eating seemed impossible now, the very idea of eating at this time sickened her. "I'm gonna go now, gotta get there early," Mara placed a kiss on Jerome's cheek, slung her bag around her shoulder and started off. While Mara thought of her early exit educational, Joy thought of it more as an escape, "Mara, I'll go with you!"

Everyone looked up at her like she was crazy. "Okay...?" Joy chanced a look at Punky who was glaring at her. The two left the house, Mara leaning away from Joy.

"So..." She started fiddling with strap on her bag, avoiding eye contact. Something told her that the two weren't on great terms.

"Sorry if that was strange back there, I wanna get good grades this term." Mara smiled slightly at this before focusing on the path again. Using learning as a way to earn friends, ok, she thought bemusedly. Quickly, the two were chatting and laughing.

Why hadn't she been friends with Mara before? Why Punky of all people? "Oh, remember, we're having a welcome back for the newspaper, ok?" Joy nodded and went to what looked like her locker. She was sure that it her locker seeing as her name was written on it and that it was decorated with stickers and what not. Luckily, she remembered her locker combination. 16-30-04. Inside, she found a jumble of different textbooks, stacked up and looking as if the tower were about to fall, several different literature books, and a small, bunny plushy (later she found out that he was Bunsie Buns 2.0). Even with this, she was still confused as to what class she had first.

"Mara?" The petite girl stared over at her and quirked an eyebrow. "What classes do we have first, I... Lost my schedule." Mara gave her an understanding look and reached into her locker, pulling out a slip of white paper.

"Keep it," she urged," I sort of memorized it already." Joy let out a small laugh before glancing it over.

_Monday: _

_English_

_French_

_Break_

_History_

_Biology _

_Math_

_Lunch_

_Elective (**Art**, Music, Drama)_

_World Religions_

The schedule went on, and realizing she was standing like an idiot in the hall, she tucked the piece of paper into her bag and set off. There was a room number next to the classes and through some help from other students; she managed to enter the English room. Obviously, she took longer than expected because all of the other Anubis kids were there. Punky, as expected, sneered as she passed. She nearly tripped over her foot when she passed but instead of blowing her top, she settled in at the back and zoned out. She knew the language well enough, she figured.

Their first class was boring. At least, it was to her anyway. They were in English and Mrs. Andrews, it seemed, never forgot about details. In fact, she took it upon herself to talk about anything, no matter how meaningless, in depth. For the mean-time, she was just going over the beginning of the year basics, and reviewing what they would be learning. What made it worse was that she wasn't sitting with anyone she knew.

Punky had made a show of sitting down with Mara, despite her protests of wanting to sit down with Jerome. Then they had flocked. Nina sat with Fabian, Eddie sat with Jerome, Alfie sat with Amber, leaving Joy with someone from another house. Said person was a workaholic, which meant she had to do minimal work. She kept on looking at Fabian. He seemed like the only person in the house that didn't hate her. Sure, there was Nina, but she didn't seem to like Joy. The feeling was mutual. Nina, she rubbed her the wrong way. She was so abbrasive, so sickly sweet, did no one else see it?

The bell rang and she ran out of the room, happy to be leaving. Unfortunately, the day dragged on like this, and with no one to sit with at lunch, she felt like the most useless anomaly ever to exist on the face of the planet. The day ended and Joy wanted nothing more than to go home and cry. Or to vent. Or just smash a car. Anything would be good. As long as she got to get rid of all her pent up emotions. She straggled behind the group of Anubis kids. Occasionally, she would hear her name thrown around in conversation, and a quick glance back from one of the members usually followed. If this was what it was like for the whole year, than Joy was pretty sure she'd rather get expelled.

When they finally reached the house, Joy walked into the kitchen looking for food. At least the food won't judge, she thought. Fabian and Nina entered the living room and sat on the couch, chattering away, oblivious to the fact that she was there. Then Amber came down and asked Nina to come with her leaving Fabian alone. Joy didn't want to make her prescence known now, so she quickly slipped out of the kitchen and walked up to her room.

What she saw made her head spin. "What's going on?"

**~0o0o0o0~**

**Crappy cliffhanger, I know! This was just sort of a filler chapter. I feel bad for not updating but this chapter was sooooooo boring to write. I promise, things will start happening soon. Read and Review! (Reviewing makes my heart fill with happiness) **

**Eskimo Kisses,**

**z3stygurl97**


	6. Chapter 6

**One thing I need to address before I start, what's with all these people story alerting this and yet not reviewing? I need critique people! So, before the next chapter, I am expecting five reviews or I will not update, period. I know that sounds mean but I need to know opinions. This chapter is also most likely to be crappy but I promise it will get more interesting. Haven't I said that in like the last few chapters? Basically, this is the continuation of a crappy cliffhanger. **

**~0o0o0o0~**

"What's going on here?" Joy asked as she walked into her room. All of her stuff was forcibly being evicted and lay out in the hall. None of them obviously cared of how they did this so most of it was sprawled out on the ground. Did Patricia hate her that much? Weren't they supposed to be like, best friends?

"Patricia wanted a room change so here we are," Nina shrugged her shoulders not noticing how shell-shocked Joy was. And despite all this, she thought that Nina would be more understanding. Nina was one of the only ones that actually knew about her… condition, yet here she stood, not giving a damn.

"But... But she wasn't serious!" Joy sputtered, waving her arms madly about, trying to capture their attention when they were obviously intent on shunning her, as if she had done the unthinkable.

"Apparently," Amber sniped," Someone isn't all they're cracked up to be." If Joy had anymore gall she would have rolled her eyes following it with a,' Oh, Burn.' She wasn't feeling that today, especially now. And where was Patricia? She wanted a damn explanation. She _deserved _a damn explanation. You couldn't just kick someone out of their room because you have a small fight. That would be ridiculous!

"So what, is the little clique just flocking together now?" Her anger wasn't well hidden in her words. She was fed up with everything. First breakfast, then class and now, this. Did any of them have any grasp of the concept of humanity?

"Hey! It's not our fault you forgot who your best friend was." Amber retorted, glaring at Joy, one which Joy happily returned.

Nina walked up to Joy, not in any threatening way, which made her feel temporarily relieved. At least, Joy thought, at least she knows why. "You'll be rooming with Mara," She placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, as if hoping that it would make everything magically better," If it's any consolation, Mara's moving too. So you're not alone in this."

"Does Mara know?" Joy asked hoping that she didn't. If Mara didn't know than they would have no right to move her out. Honestly, she didn't even know why she didn't want to move. Maybe the remnants of her past self were telling her not to. But this was a theory, and highly unlikely.

"Yeah, she's in the room now." Joy sighed, realizing she had lost. As she trudged out, Patricia rounded the corner and entered the room, intent on ignoring her. She started out on fixing her stuff out. Luckily, she had lived mostly out of her suitcase, because all of her clothes were safely secured in there. There were some casualties. Her blankets and pillows were scuffed and now very dirty, and her box that apparently was under her bed, now lay on its side, its contents spilled across the floor.

They turned out to be polaroid pictures from the year previous. There was one of them that caught her attention. It was of her and Patricia at a carnival, both of them sporting the most ridiculous faces. When she was trying to get the last of the stuff, she heard some of their conversation. It was frayed at the corners, and the colors were faded, but something about it drew her in. And then there was that sickening feeling of light-headedness that she couldn't seem to get rid of.

She felt as though was were going to pass out surely, but opening her eyes revealed her at the carnival. As she looked around, she spotted her and Patricia, taking that very polaroid. Patricia shook her arm rapidly as she tried to develop the picture, while Joy wandered over to the concession stand and bought fairy floss. An overpowering sense of happiness flooded her veins as she watched the two. Then she blinked once more, and all of it was gone, and the emptiness and her friendlessness returned.

"I can't believe how much of a bitch she is," a voice that was unmistakably Patricia's.

"Patricia, I always told you she was and yet you always tried to see the good in her. I'm just glad now you've accepted it. I mean last year how she decided to steal Fabian? It's like, what chance did she have? One, he was with Nina and two, Fabian wouldn't even like her. She's not smart, she's not pretty, and she's such a drama queen, God, she just so annoying." The voice was Amber's. At least they didn't know she was there. She was having a hard time containing tears that threatened to spill.

"Amber," She heard Nina say," You're being really, really mean right now." Amber scoffed, quite loudly, before replying," Neens, remember the article she wrote on you and all the horrible things she did to you? Why are you forgiving her now?" Patricia followed with a yeah.

Nina merely said," I believe in second chances." The conversation dwindled after that, mainly talking about some stupid Sibuna thing, and she found herself in her room. Mara was luckily gone ofr the moment, but her side of the room was all set up. Once the door was closed though, she cried harder than she ever had before.

Believe me, Joy could take insults, but not to this degree. Just knowing that people that were supposed to be her friends despised her to the core… Why had she been such a dumb fuck last year? And the worst thing was, she had no idea what she had done. It was like being accused for a crime because there were no other suspects. Get yourself together, she told herself, you're Joy. But who was Joy?

She shook off the notion of trying to find herself and started setting up her side of the room. This proved hard when your chest shook with tears and when your nose was running. After haphazardly placing her stuff into the closet and throwing the quilt on her bed, she finally tried to calm down. She would be allowed to draw conclusions on all of them because she didn't know them, right? No harm done.

_Amber_, she thought, _the popular girl on the outside who can be the most judgmental bitch ever who only cares about pairing people off._

Just thinking this helped her smile a bit. _Patricia, the girl who is obsessed with trying to show she is the toughest girl ever but is really the most hormonal of the bunch._

And quite quickly, this had become a game, a game where she made the rules. And this game was fun. _Nina, the sugar pie American who tries to be perfect all the time and thinks anyone below that standard is trash. _

"Hello? Joy?" Mara stood at the door awkwardly, wanting to come in. "Mara, this is your room too, you don't need to ask permission to enter." Getting the message, she walked in and grabbed the days homework and got started. She wizzed through it, thinking nothing of it, and kept on doing so until she asked Joy a question.

"Why did you get kicked out? Really, because Patricia made a big who haw about it and I only got that you forgot her birthday." Joy nodded in response, not really listening. "That's my story."

"Well, I think there's something else, you know? I mean, last year and the year before that, those three have only ever hung out together, like a group or something." Joy perked up at this, wanting to know more. Mara wouldn't have the answers though.

"A group? Like what?" Mara shrugged, reaffirming Joy's theory. "I've always wanted to ask Patricia but she always says it's nothing and that I'm paranoid," Mara's tone was bordering on whiny, and Joy knew if she pushed it, Mara would start ranting.

Joy played with the hem of her shirt before changing the subject," So when is the next article due for the newspaper?"

Mara looked up from her work and asked," You're the head of the newspaper committee, shouldn't you know?"

"I don't, sorry. I've had… other things on my mind lately." She nodded understandingly," Next article is due three days from now on 'Return to School.' We can work on it tomorrow if you like."

"Sure, that would be nice." Joy soon accepted that she had homework and started working until dinner beckoned. The whole house smelled of curry. It was crazy. She could smell the cloud of fragrant chicken from where she sat. Truth be told, she was not looking forward to sitting near Patricia and the gang and the only thing that made her feel okay was that Mara and Fabian would be there. She wasn't sure about the others though.

She strode down the hall, confident because of Mara's company, and they walked with ease into the dining. No one noticed their arrival, as expected, mostly because they were too caught up in the curry and their conversations. Mara ran up to her seat next to Jerome and kissed him. Love birds, she thought, rolling her eyes. Wasn't it bad enough that the whole house was paired off? Why did they need to rub it into her face.

The curry was too tempting for her to care very long, and soon she was stuffing herself with curry, rice and naan. "What's this I hear about you three," Jerome pointed at Amber, Patricia, and Nina," sharing one room now?" Any other conversation that was happening ended abruptly as they waited for a reply from one of the girls.

"Why do you care slime ball?" Jerome shrugged his shoulders and continued," I'm curious mostly because of the fact that you and Joy are thick as thieves." He shoved another bite of curry into his mouth.

"Were Jerome, were." Jerome's face lit up in a way that could only be described as a kid's first christmas as he stared at Joy, then Patricia, and then back to Joy. "Oh, this is rich. You two, having a fight, a full-blown fight? I would have never. This is just wow. Have there been any cat fights yet, tell me I haven't missed the cat fights!" He laughed.

"Shut the hell up slimeball, we don't need your input." Patricia sneered. It felt good for once, not having Patricia sneer at her. In fact, it felt like a small burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Oh, I beg to disagree. I think you do. So tell me, what's this about? Nail polish, secret relatives, boy troubles," he waggled his eye brows at Eddie," spill, don't keep us waiting." Probably the only thing that connected Patricia and Joy right now was the fact that he was getting on both of their nerves.

"Jerome, if I hear one more word out of you I'll tear you apart, limb by limb, got it?" At this point, she got up and stormed out of the room, pursued by Eddie, who was likely to find out about this soon.

Joy felt the tension at the table rise and felt extremely out of place. Even her full stomach of curry and her sleepy eyes couldn't distract her from that. Seeing as no one wanted to talk anymore, she slid out of the dining room and back upstairs. She may as well relax now, for she knew that once Eddie grabbed hold of the news, that her life would become even more of a nightmare.

**~0o0o0o0~**

**I'm not entirely pleased with it but, eh, what can you do. I promise, you get stuff in the next few chapters, I swear, so no need to worry there, okay? **

**Goodnight! **

**Kels **


	7. Chapter 7

**Another chapter, yay! Ok, well, I had this idea and didn't want to lose it so basically I am writing this in class and my partner for this project has no idea, thank God. Okay, now she's gone. So, this chapter is leaning a bit more on the Jabian flirty side to fit with the needs of some of my reviews. To you Fabina guys, do not worry, they will not get together. I am not that heartless, although I thoroughly prefer Jabian over Fabina, so any of you reviewers that are offended by that, be my guest and take the floor. **

**~0o0o0o0~**

Joy sat on her bed, chewing non-committedly on the end of her pen. Currently, she was pouring over the latest batch of torture, or homework to others, from none other than Mr. Sweet. Apparently, a dose of healthy homework each day was exactly what all of them needed to strengthen their minds. Unfortunately, she felt this was doing no good for her. Mara currently was out on a date with Jerome, and the break from her gushing about his hair was well earned.

And the room, in her absence, was extremely relaxing. Having been in here for nearly a week now, she had learned to appreciate the little things about it. Her bed was in direct line with the window that streamed in buttery light onto her bed each morning. There was also a pleasant breeze from where she sat, and that helped beat the tangy summer air. She also loved the sounds that floated into her room. The occasional chatter, birds chirping, the whistle of the wind, a groan of a tree. It was all tremendously lulling.

But still, the sight of the words on the paper boggled her mind, and made focusing on all these things hard. The pen itself was an outlet for her emotions and soon, she found herself gnawing on it relentlessly. The questions seemed to be taunting her, just wanting her to break. And honestly, she felt insulted. So, against her better judgment, she threw the paper up in the air. It did not occur to her that the paper could fly out of the window, but it did.

Like a fairy, or a butterfly, it flew down gently, flying gently with the wind. "Shit," she muttered, realizing with wide eyes that the homework was mandatory. Of course, with her language skills, she would just be able to talk her way out of it. She contemplated this, but finally settled on getting the answers from Mara, seeing as living with Mara for the while taught her one thing: she was hopelessly sympathetic. In fact, she had managed to get a lot of the biology answers for the while with her help. Yes, it was being lazy, but could you blame her? The information was there in the form of Mara, what kind of person would she be if she just ignored it?

A knock at the door ruined her perfect moment of silence. Joy felt like screaming, assuming it was Mara, that it was her room as well and that she didn't need to knock. "Come in," she decided on it relatively quickly, considering all the other things she was planning to say. When Fabian walked in though, she was relieved that she had not screamed. That would have just made her look stupid. "Hi," she said with ease, staring into his eyes. Something about those eyes were so enticing. She also knew that they were forbidden.

"Lose anything?" He asked his tone playful. Too playful to be coincidental. Obviously, hiding his emotions was not his forte, nor would it ever be.

"Where did you find it?" Joy asked, her hand stretched out to receive it. Secretly, she was happy that it had been Fabian that returned it. If it had been anyone else, they would have just left the paper on the ground, or in Patricia's case, stepped on it multiple times and or rip it up into miniscule shreds for the wind to carry away. God was she glad that hadn't happened.

Out of nowhere, he procured the piece of homework and strode over to give it to her. It was slightly damp and crumpled, but still in good condition, and that was really enough for Joy. Just knowing that there was the possibility that she would have to have served a detention over this wouldn't have been fun.

"You can sit, you know." She announced, noticing his hesitant stance, hovering by her bed.

"Hey, I was getting to that, no need to attack me. I was just admiring your taste in... Upholstery." Joy rolled her eyes. _Yeah, upholstery. _She patted the spot beside her quite gingerly before he finally sat down. There was a sudden **stiffness **that hung in the air, like dry electricity. Her arms and legs prickled with goose bumps, and she struggled to find what to say. _Stop it Joy, he's with Nina, Don't know why, but he is._

"Really?" She asked innocently, or rather too innocently, her voice full of fake hope.

"Yeah, well, good for a girl." He laughed, as if thinking it were the funniest thing in the world. Even though this was far from being as funny as he intended, it made her smile seeing him happy.

"Hey, watch it!" She slapped his arm, meaning to be serious, but the look on his face made her struggle.

"That was a joke Joy." He said, believing her bad poker face. Was she that good at acting?

"But, at least I know now that I have impeccable taste in bedding." She quirked, running a hand over her bedding, tracing the pattern of a star.

"Says you." He countered, bumping into her. Similarly, she started tracing a star on her side. The closeness felt uncomfortable yet nice in itself. _Joy, you're flirting, stop playing with fire. _

"Wasn't it your opinion, Mr. Rutter?" She asked rather dubiously.

"Touché, Joy, touché."

"Do you remember when we made this?" Fabian questioned in a quiet voice. No, Fabian, I don't, is what she wanted to say. It didn't last for long though, because she slipped into another vision. Vaguely, she felt annoyed with all this. If this were to become a regular occurance, it would definitely raise some eyebrows. She didn't focus on this for long.

They were in the other room, and Patricia, Joy, and Fabian sat in a ring around what appeared to be her unfinished quilt. The three were laughing, talking, and as best as they could, sewing the icons in. Fabian, who looked especially shaky with his needle, had accidentally stabbed his hand. There was an outburst, mostly where Fabian was shaking his hand around like an idiot, Joy was trying to calm him down, and Patricia was laughing like crazy at Fabian's little hand dance.

After many attempts, Joy grabbed his hand and examined the wound. It was merely a pin prick, and Joy dropped the hand, joining Patricia. Fabian, crushed, jutted out his lower lip. She said something incomprehensible, and scooted towards him. Taking his hand in hers, she helped him finish up a star on the quilt. And then it was all fading into black and she found herself on her bed once again.

"... Joy? Joy!" She shook herself from the fading pieces of her vision. The world around her spun violently, but now she had gotten used to that feeling. Fabian had not. The star she had been tracing had been that very star from the vision.

"What just happened?" He asked slightly panicked. She could understand. Blanking out for minutes was not normal behaviour. In fact, it was frightening. Then came the headache that partnered with it. The more frequent the visions became, the worse the headaches were. The first time had been fine. It had been so quick that it barely even qualified. The second time had left a minor headache, but she had attributed her throbbing head to the fact she was holding in tears and was crying. This time, it was definitely there, pure pain. She would really need a pill after this.

Fabian. Right. "Yeah?" She stammered out, trying to mask the pain in her voice. The throbbing in her head continued, a beat driving the force.

"What just happened? Are you alright?" Her whole plan of hiding that had gone out of the window. Why couldn't he just ignore what had just happened?

"Yeah, just a side effect of the… you know." As if it needed any more explaining, she thought.

"And the necklace?" Her hand flew protectively towards it, and she felt a sense of comfort knowing that it indeed was still there. The icy feeling still radiated out of it, but was only perceptible to those would touched it. "Why were you gone for a few minutes?"

"I don't know," she shrugged," whenever I do something that has a significant memory, I sort of slip into this trance like state, you know? And then I watch that memory. It's happened three times already. All I do know for certain about them is that they give you a bloody migraine afterwards."

"What did you just see then?" He asked, his voice full of amazement and confusion.

"This," she slapped the quilt," I saw all three of us making it. And this star right here? I helped you sew it on after you pricked your finger. You, mister, can't take a little pain." She poked him in the ribs, and laughed. But that's all she would say. He knew what she was talking about, and it would be useless to try and question her about it. She wanted to change the topic, having felt like she had said enough about her situation.

"So why was this," he pointed to the paper that was slightly damp from dew," outside?"

"I got fed up and threw it but it flew out of the window and you know the rest. I wanna know why did you take it?"

"Actually, it landed on Nina's face and she told me to return it."

Joy let out an uncontrolled laugh, "Wait, Nina's face?"

"Well, really it flew into her face, and she freaked out for a bit, and I finally managed to get it off. It was hilarious, Patricia was dying... Oh, right..."

"Do you need help with this?" She nodded vigorously. This meant two things. One, she would actually learn how to do her biology. Two, she would have more time to spend with Fabian. She felt guilty for doing this. Then again, what was their relationship before she left? She had no idea. There was nothing wrong with experimenting. And so he sat and helped her go through the paper. This took a while seeing as for every question she had to be shown multiple examples to actually get it.

"Kay, let me see if I got this. You watching? Eh-hem," her tiny theatrical show on the basics of advanced biology (which, she thought was somewhat of an oxymoron) flowed, and although information was skipped over at points or overdone, Fabian was trying to bite away a smile that was threatening to consume his face. She was such an entertainer. It seemed as if her small stature could not contain her seemingly boundless energy.

"You got most of it, so that's an improvement."

"Fabian!" Nina's head popped into the room. Joy swore she saw some jealousy flicker across her face as she looked at the two, but it a mere moment. It could have been the lighting though. "I need to talk to you for a second." Even Joy could hear the poorly masked exasperation and urgency. There was no sense in keeping her waiting, and Fabian quickly got up and bowed out. His sudden exit made the room feel empty.

She couldn't complain, right? She had just spent near an hour of time with him. Any complaining would be unjustified and would make her seem possessive. But, she thought, at least I know how to do my homework.

**~0o0o0o0~ **

**Reasonably weird, I know, but I reintroduced the necklace which was good and hey, we got some Jabian. Next chapter, I promise, takes a big bite out of that plot, alright? I bet some of you out there are head-desking right now thinking, When the hell is this girl gonna give us what we asked for? The answer to that, my friend, is I don't know. **

**Eskimo kisses, **

**z3stygurl97**


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